Prompts
by AutyRose
Summary: Essentially, a bunch of random prompts that I get from people. They will be canon compliant (for the most part - minus the submitted prompts that aren't) and possibly connected (depends on the prompt). Korrasami focused, but not exclusive.
1. Prompt 1

Hey everyone! I received this prompt from tumblr user frostbite883 and decided to post it here for everyone to read. I started this so that if I get any more prompts in the future, I can post it in one easy to find place. This is my spin on the following prompt request: 'Asami watches as Korra sings to Rohan to sleep late at night'. Hope you enjoy it!

(-)

Muffled darkness was all she could see. But it wasn't because her eyes were closed; in fact, they were wide open. There wasn't an ounce of sleep in her. It wasn't the thoughts of their work on rebuilding Republic City that kept her awake. It wasn't the memories of their not-too-long-ago Spirit World vacation that would occasionally keep her up at night, her heart skipping a beat when she recalled them. It wasn't even the nightmares of Zaheer trying to asphyxiate her that prevented her slumber.

A flash of light crossed the room, followed by a core-rattling pound of thunder.

Korra stiffened in the bed. She wasn't a fan of storms; in fact, she had very little experience with them in her lifetime. It didn't rain and thunder like this in the Southern Water Tribe. While they _did_ have storms and the wind howled against their windows, it was nothing as loud as _this_.

Another flick of white and a deafening boom made her flinch. She tightened her hold on Asami, who was completely unfazed by the atrocious weather.

 _How can she sleep through this?_

Korra watched her in the very dim light entering the window of the Air Temple room they had borrowed from Tenzin and Pema. They had been visiting them and their family for the evening and – upon sight of the oncoming storm – were persuaded into staying the night in safety instead of risking crossing Yue Bay under the dark clouds.

Asami had been asleep for hours, curled into Korra's side as she had grown accustomed to doing these past few weeks.

Korra, on the other hand, woke the moment the first roll of thunder came in. It made her chest vibrate and the walls shake. She played with a piece of Asami's hair – a habit she noticed she had been doing more and more lately since their Spirit World vacation. She tried to picture those happy times, when they explored fields of butterfly spirit flowers and kissed for the first time in a hot spring in the Spirit Mountains.

A crack of thunder interrupted these memories, tearing right through her safety net and forcing her to fall into the pits of despair below.

 _Come on, Korra. It's just a little thunder. You're the_ _Avatar_ _, for Spirits' sake. Why are you freaking out over this?_

She couldn't think of a good explanation for her rapid heartbeat. She glanced at Asami once more.

Asami had stirred from the most recent round of thunder, but she remained asleep nonetheless.

Korra sighed and stared at the window. She could see the rain pounding into the glass, sliding down just as quick as it had connected. She was tempted to reach out and Water Bend some of it with her fingers, but refrained. With another exhale, she brought her attention back to Asami. She caught a whiff of the flowery scent that _was_ Asami in her mind (when it wasn't mixed with the powerful smell of motor oil). A gentle smile spread across her lips. She inched them closer and kissed her girlfriend on her forehead.

Asami let out an audible breath, as if the motion had transferred into her dream somehow and brought her content. She tightened her hold on Korra in her sleep.

Korra grinned and closed her eyes, finding new hope in reaching slumber once again.

Another flash burst into the room. She braced herself for the thunder. When it didn't come, she lowered her guard. Then, it shook the very mattress she laid on, forcing her to almost jump out of the bed.

Korra sat up, breath short, jaw tight. She put a hand to the side of her head before rubbing her eyes.

"Mm – Korra?" Asami mumbled, somewhat awake from the jerk.

"Shhh, get some rest," Korra whispered, pecking her cheek as gentle as she could. Things hadn't exactly been easy for the engineer in these past few months. While their vacation was wonderful and their new-found relationship was everything that Korra could have ever asked for, it didn't take away the pain Asami felt over watching her father get crushed by Kuvira's mechasuit just weeks beforehand. Top that off with the stress of rebuilding the City, _again_ , and balancing the entirety of Future Industries on her shoulders – despite her small board of directors assisting her when they could – and Asami had the perfect concoction for late nights, early mornings, and broken sleep.

And this was ignoring the nightmares that Asami had had about _Korra_ , but would never admit to her.

But Korra knew. She listened to Asami during those nights as she tossed on occasion and muttered her name in apparent distress. Korra was still trying to repair the damage she had done with being away for three years and nearly getting killed during the battle against the Earth Empire.

And if Korra knew anything about near death experiences and pain, it was that the memories and nightmares wouldn't fade away for a long time, and would _never_ go away completely.

She cringed at the thought of her most common nightmares. Amon taking her Bending. Unalaq taking her Avatar Spirit. Zaheer taking her _life_.

And she, too, had the occasional dream about Asami as she watched her hummingbird mechasuit fly about, Asami only inches away from being crushed herself.

Some of those dreams ended poorly, and it was too much for Korra to handle.

She put a protective hand in Asami's soft, raven locks and kissed her forehead. "Go back to sleep, Asami," she muttered, already feeling the woman drifting back to dreamland under her fingertips. "You need it," Korra added once she was sure Asami was in the throes of slumber again.

Korra straightened and looked over her shoulder to the window. The rain continued to pound. She glanced back at Asami before moving out of the bed as slow and as gentle as possible. She tucked the blanket around Asami's shoulders and tiptoed out of the room.

She entered the hallway, rubbing the side of her head as she did so. She didn't really know _what_ to do. She could find a quiet spot to meditate the nerves away, but realized there would be _no_ quiet place as long as the storm was raging. She could go to Tenzin for comfort, but it was much too late in the night and she didn't want to wake him.

 _Besides,_ she thought to herself, _he would probably think I was foolish for being afraid of a thunderstorm._

Korra pouted her lip and made her way down the corridor in an aimless fashion. She scoffed.

 _Me, the Avatar, afraid of a little storm? Yeah righ –_

A loud crack of thunder made her jump and spin around on her feet. Her eyes darted around. The hallway was just as empty as she had found it several seconds beforehand.

 _You were saying?_

She crossed her arms and furrowed her brow.

 _I'm_ _not_ _afraid of some storm_ , she muttered in her head, turning to a window at the end of the corridor while she did so. _I could take this storm on no problem! Some Water Bending for the rain, Air Bending for the wind. It wouldn't be able to stop me!_

Her thoughts were interrupted when she reached the pane and heard a muffled sob through the nearby door. She raised an eyebrow and approached the room. She recognized it in an instant as Rohan's.

Korra slid the door open softly and peeked inside.

"K – Korra," Rohan whispered. "Is that you?"

She nodded and crept into the almost-four-year-old's room. "Hey little guy," she greeted while she walked to his bed, "are you okay?"

He sat up and shook his head with a sniffle, the blankets bundled around him. A sky bison plush was in the crook of his arm as he wiped his eyes. "I can't sleep," he mumbled between a heave.

Korra frowned in sympathy. "Are you afraid of the storm?"

He bobbed his head and pulled his sky bison closer. "I don't like the thunder."

"That makes two of us," Korra replied, glancing up at the window as a gust slammed against the side of the building.

"You're afraid of the storm, too?"

She nodded.

His face scrunched in confused thought. It was interrupted by a flash and an immediate crack of lightning.

They both jumped to this, though Korra's was more protective than before – not of herself, but for Rohan.

Before she knew it, she was slamming the shutters closed and lighting a small candle nearby with her Fire Bending. "Maybe this will be better," she added while she lit another candle.

Rohan sniffled and watched her with intent. The sounds of the storm were somewhat muffled with the panels shut, but they drifted in the foreground regardless. "Korra?"

She stopped and turned to him.

"Will you stay with me? Until I can fall asleep?"

Her expression softened. "Sure," she answered while approaching the bed. She sat beside him.

He crawled into her lap in an instant, blankets and sky bison in his grip. He curled up and held his plush against his chest, resting his head on Korra's.

Korra put a protective and comforting arm around him, her other hand rubbing his back on instinct.

"Korra," Rohan called to her again, a mild sleepiness in his voice.

"Hmm?"

"Can you sing me a song?"

She raised a brow. "A song?"

He nodded. "When I can't sleep, my mom sings me a song. It helps me feel better."

Korra frowned and wrinkled her face in thought. "I'm not sure I know any songs, little guy."

Rohan pouted his lip. " _Pleeeeeeease?_ "

She chuckled, his response reminiscent of herself as a child. "Okay, okay. Let me think of one." She closed her eyes as she tried to remember. A faint memory came into view. She was young – around Rohan's age. There was a snowstorm raging outside, and the squall had kept her up. This was long before she knew she was the Avatar, long before she knew she was all powerful and almighty.

And even _with_ that knowledge, she was _still_ afraid of this storm.

"My mom sung me a song before," she mumbled, still deep in trying to recall the event and the words, "when I was afraid of a storm at your age."

This peaked Rohan's interest. He sat up a bit and looked up at Korra. "Really?"

She nodded, eyes opening once the lyrics came back to her. "It's in the native tongue," she replied, piecing the words together. "I can sing it for you, if you want."

Rohan bobbed his head and pulled his sky bison closer. He curled back into Korra as she began to sing:

"Kisuk kanittuk,

Aatchuiruk apun.

Sila alappuu.

Irrinugaa."

She took a breath, the hum of her mother's voice filling her chest with warmth.

"Anugi imnalutuk,

Ilalulasraak.

Agniksuk, agniksuk," she emphasized, mimicking the way Senna had.

"Pakittuk kasimmavik,

Tupik."

Her voice was gentle. She didn't even notice when she had started rocking Rohan.

"Ignik kanittuk.

Akuvituk.

Atuktuk, atuktuk.

Nigiuktuk," she whispered the last line and paused, tightening her hold on Rohan.

"Apun kaaniksuk."

She smiled.

"Anuniaktuk igit."

Korra opened her watery eyes, not remembering closing them, only remembering the tender moment with her mother when she was a child. Luckily, the song had the same effect on Rohan as it had on her; he was fast asleep in her arms.

She couldn't help but grin. "Sleep well," she mumbled, placing him on the bed as softly as she could. She tucked the sheets around him and ran her fingers through his short hair, a newfound comfort emerging inside of her.

Thunder cackled, but it was far away from her. She didn't feel afraid anymore, didn't feel startled by the roaring boom.

What _had_ made her jump, though, was the voice at the doorway.

"I didn't know you were such a good singer, Korra."

A mild amount of shy panic swarmed over her. She spun around, a sheepish hand on the back of her head. "Oh, hi – hey, Asami. I – uh – was just –"

Asami chuckled and crossed the room. "Relax," she muttered, a mild bit of sleepiness in her _own_ voice. "You have nothing to be embarrassed about," she continued as she rested her forearms on Korra's shoulders. "I thought it was beautiful."

Korra blushed and looked away. "T – Thanks."

She smiled. "I didn't realize the people of the Southern Water Tribe had their own language," she started, sliding her hands down Korra's arms and taking one of her palms in her own. "What does the song mean?"

"The song," Korra asked, a bit flustered when Asami squeezed her hand. "Oh! Right, the song. Um, well, I'm not the best at translating, but I can try," she replied, leading Asami out of the room to prevent waking Rohan with their conversation.

They walked down the corridor hand-in-hand, quiet footsteps muffled by the distant rain.

"Well, okay, the first line talks about a dark cloud being nearby. The cloud is over open water – like the river in the Southern Water Tribe. It's a snow cloud. Then, it talks about how cold the air is and how it's really windy. A blizzard starts." Korra explained, oblivious to where she was going as she was losing herself in the memory from her childhood. She repeated the description her mother gave her.

"We find a gathering place. A house. There's a fire nearby and we sit around it. We sing and we hope. Soon, the snowstorm passes and we can hunt again."

"That's beautiful," Asami exhaled, sitting beside Korra on the edge of the bed. Their fingers were still locked. "Do you know any other songs," she asked, thumb tracing patterns on the back of Korra's hand.

"Um," Korra scratched her head, deep in thought. "Not really. Maybe bits and pieces here and there. But for some reason, that's the one that sticks out the most in my head."

Asami smiled and kissed Korra's cheek. "Can you sing it again?"

She blushed. "You – you want me to sing again?"

She nodded.

"I – um, well – you don't _really_ want to hear me sing it again, do you?"

Asami buried a hand in Korra's hair. "I do."

Korra cleared her throat in a nervous state. "I – um, okay." She took a breath and closed her eyes, much more anxious about singing this time now that Asami was watching. The words were clumsy at first, but as she got deeper into the song and the memory, her voice grew strong and graceful and beautiful.

Asami watched and listened with intent, doing her best to memorize each and every syllable and inflection. "One more time," she muttered, taking more joy in listening to Korra sing than she ever thought she would; who would have thought that the almighty Avatar was such an exquisite vocalist?

Korra grinned, easing up as she repeated the song, rocking back and forth with her eyes closed.

 _Asami likes my singing_ , she thought in the back of her head, the very notion causing her cheeks to blush and her tongue to stumble for a moment. _I didn't even know I_ _could_ _sing._

When Korra finished, a wave of relief washed over her. She separated her lids and met the peridots beside her.

Asami smiled and placed a gentle kiss on Korra's lips. When they departed, she asked, "Do you feel better now?"

She paused in disbelief and nodded.

 _Of course Asami knew I was afraid. She knows_ _everything_ _._

"Good," she whispered and stroked Korra's hair in the process. "Let's get some rest, okay?"

Korra nodded.

Their hands broke apart and reformed once they were settled under the covers. This time, Korra snuggled up into Asami's side, her chest warm and her eyes somewhat heavy.

It wasn't until Asami started humming the tune of Korra's song and stroking her hair that she fell asleep, storm be damned.

Asami repeated it over and over, the melody in her voice and the words in her head. When the next storm hit Republic City, she would be ready to help the love of her life drift into slumber once more. To this, she smiled – a gentle curving of the lips. With a sigh and a soft kiss on Korra's forehead, she returned to dreamland, the images no longer consisting of plans and schematics and paperwork, but of the tundra, the calming Song of the Snowstorm bringing her peace in the stress that tried to swallow her, of Korra's voice echoing and bringing her warmth in her drift.


	2. Prompt 2

Hello all! I got this prompt many months ago from a tumblr user named friskybizz and decided to finally write it yesterday (I know - I'm so bad at timing). I know this is extremely late, friskybizz, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless. Took it a slightly different route, but the prompt was "Can you do a prompt where Korra is a paramedic or a firefighter and she rescues Asami, and Asami is head over heels for her?". Note this is NOT canon compliant and is NOT a continuation of the previous chapter's entry. But I liked the way it came out.

Hope you all enjoy!

 **(-)**

 **My first**

Korra rubbed her eyes and stifled a yawn; she certainly didn't want anyone to know how tired she was on her first day, for this was not a job where you wanted to be tired.

She couldn't help herself, though. Her nerves had gotten the best of her last night as she lay awake in her Republic City apartment, so far away from home. While she had been there for well over a month, it didn't hit her as hard as it did when her bedroom was empty and the sounds of the passing automobiles on the darkened urban streets echoed in her ears.

What should she be afraid of, she asked as she spread her legs out on her small bed. It was a job she trained for, applied for, interviewed for, and rejoiced for when she got the offer.

Then a siren went off and she snapped upright. The ambulance whizzed by her apartment and down the street, the flashing red lights creating temporary shadows in her bedroom.

She gulped. Maybe she wasn't ready for this.

 _What if I mess up? What if someone – what if I can't save them?_

Korra's eyes closed. Her mind went to her medical trainer back home in the Southern Water Tribe.

"What are the three rules when performing first aid?"

Korra felt her brow scrunch as she thought of the answer, her hands and mind much younger than it was now.

"Be safe. If it's wet and not yours, don't touch it." Her child-like voice recalled aloud. "And, um…" She scratched her head and looked away, unsure if she couldn't remember the last rule or if she just didn't want to.

Footsteps approached her. They stopped in front of her mat.

By the time she looked up, Katara was kneeling in front of her.

She put her hands on Korra's shoulders and gave them a gentle squeeze. She waited until Korra's childish eyes, full of a mixture of emotions, locked onto her serious but calm ones. Katara spoke in a gentle tone with stern words: "People die."

Korra looked away. She didn't want to think about death or about anyone dying.

"Korra," Katara called to her, nudging her in her grip.

Their eyes met.

"This is a tough and demanding field. You won't be able to save everyone. Even _I_ can't save everyone. The sooner you can accept it, the easier being a medic will be for you."

Korra frowned and averted her gaze. She crossed her arms over her chest, breaking free of Katara's hold and, inadvertently, hugging herself.

Katara sighed and switched her position so that she was sitting in front of Korra instead of kneeling. She put a reassuring palm on Korra's shoulder once more. She looked at her with sympathetic eyes. She spoke despite the fact that Korra didn't meet her stare.

"I know why you're doing this."

Korra glanced at her with watery eyes. She looked away and shut her lids before the back of her hands could wipe the tears away.

When she opened her eyes, she was back in her dark apartment, similar tears rolling down her cheeks.

The sirens had long stopped. The muffled quietness returned.

Korra sighed and wiped her eyes with one stroke of the back of her hand. She sniffled and folded her legs in a butterfly style under her sheets. She took a breath and ran her hands through her hair, eyes closed once more. She let her breath out in a long exhale and threw the sheets from her lap.

Another car passed her window, the headlights illuminating her bedroom for a moment.

Korra caught a glance of a picture on her dresser. It disappeared just as quickly as it came, but it was enough to move her. She pushed herself out of her bed and dragged her feet over to her dresser. Her hands found the familiar frame. She brought it into the dim orange of the streetlight. Her fingers traced the wood while her eyes took in the sight on the protected paper, just as they had a hundred times before.

An older couple stared back at her, happy in their youth. They both looked like her.

A smile crossed her lips. A pain crossed her heart. She set the picture down on her nightstand and stared out the nearby window. With a sigh, she wandered to the door and grabbed her sweatshirt.

"I'm going for a walk, Naga," she called over her shoulder to her big white dog in the corner while she fidgeted for her keys. "I'll be back in a bit."

"You the new kid?"

Korra lifted her head up in a jerk, forcing herself to stay awake in the weary white room that she was stationed in. Her mind had been lost in the memory of her latest night and of the sleep she missed out on. She gulped and glanced up at the person standing before her, a mild panic – or embarrassment, rather – in her eyes.

"Oh, um, yes, that's me. I'm here. Hello."

The pale woman across from her shot her a look that lacked amusement. She crossed her arms over her chest and scowled. "It doesn't look good when you're falling asleep on your first day."

Korra looked away and put her hand to the back of her neck. "I–"

"This is _also_ not the job to show up exhausted to." The woman was bent forward now, her palms against the tabletop on either side of Korra, her eyes level and just a foot away from Korra's blues. She was close enough for her shiny metal badge to catch Korra's peripheral before their pupils met. "People's lives are depending on you, kid."

Korra nodded, intensity and fear in her ocean-colored irises. "I know."

"Then get your head in the game." She straightened and walked to the kitchenette nearby. She poured hot water into a cup and added a tea bag. "How long have you been here," she asked as she reentered the room, stirring the tea while she did so.

"This is my first day."

The same look of annoyance crossed her face. "I _know_ that. I meant how long have they left you sitting at this table doing nothing."

"Oh, um, just a few minutes – I think."

She shook her head and offered the mug to Korra. "Here. It'll help you wake up."

Korra took the steaming cup and held it in both hands. "Thanks." She set it in front of her and stared at the billowing vapors, lost in thought once more.

The pale woman returned to the kitchenette and poured another cup of tea.

"What is a police officer of your rank doing at the response station?" Korra looked from her tea to the approaching officer.

She smiled. "So you know who I am?"

Korra nodded. "Who _wouldn't_ know who Lin Beifong is in this city? Besides," Korra took a sip of her tea, "the nametag kinda gives it away."

Lin leaned against the wall and stared at her tea. "The nametag'll do it." She gulped half of it down before addressing Korra's question. "What is a paramedic trainee on her first day doing asking such probing questions?"

Their eyes met.

Korra was the first to look away. "I was just wondering. I see you in the news a lot, so I was curious." She shrugged and drank more of her tea.

"Well, if you _must_ know," Lin began prior to downing the rest of her tea, "I come here often for medical records and reports of incidents that I'm investigating."

Korra glanced up at her. Her heart sped up in her chest. "Investigations?" She kept her voice as calm as she could.

Lin nodded and walked to the kitchenette once more. She turned on the tap and rinsed her mug. "Every time someone gets picked up by an ambulance and I'm trying to figure out what happened, I come here." She placed the dish in the strainer and continued. "Happens more often than you'd think, though I wasn't expecting to get a call this early in the morning."

Korra quickly brought her cup to her lips and drank slowly, using the action as an excuse to stop responding.

Her mind flashed back to the night before.

The wind blew her hair about in a gentle tousle. Korra pulled her hood up to keep the chill away. She buried her hands in her pockets and kept walking with her head down. Korra closed her eyes for a moment as she walked, trying to calm herself down with fresh air. She rounded a corner and separated her lids.

Before she knew it, she was on the ground.

"Get out of my way," the man on top of her screamed, scrambling to climb off of Korra.

Korra, in her confusion, simply pushed him away.

The man rolled into the sidewalk and jumped to his feet. He sprinted, but not before grabbing something from the ground. A bag of some sort, like a purse.

"Get back here!" A woman yelled, sprinting by Korra as if she were just a mailbox or a fire hydrant on the cement – something easily ignored with tunnel vision.

Korra flipped onto her stomach and watched the chase from the concrete. By the time she got to her feet, the pair were gone.

All she could remember was the flowing black hair of the woman chasing whoever that guy was.

Korra ran out of tea and contemplated sipping on air until Lin left, but she lacked the finesse to pull off something like that.

That, and her curiosity got the best of her.

She set her mug down on the table. "What, uh, was this call about?"

Lin picked a clipboard up from a desk nearby and flipped through the papers. "Some thug got the shit beaten out of him. He was picked up by one of the crews here and taken to the hospital nearby."

Korra hid the smug smile on her face.

 _I guess she got him._

"And it's my job to figure out what happened. Once the ambulance gets back, you'll be switching places with one of the people on shift last night so I can get more information about this guy."

Before Korra could say anything else, the door opened. Two men and a woman walked inside, all wearing similar uniforms to Korra's – though theirs were much more decorated and detailed than hers.

"Lin," one of the men nodded while he walked to the kitchenette. The other man did the same while the woman sat at the table where Korra was stationed.

"Shizi," Lin replied. She lowered the clipboard to her waist and followed them.

Korra tried to listen to their conversation, but the woman across from her stopped her. "You the newbie?"

"Oh, um, yeah."

She continued taking her boots off, slamming each onto the floor with well-earned exhaustion after an eight-hour shift. "Keyi," she responded, moving onto one of her many buckles.

"Korra," she replied, feeling more awkward with each second that passed.

"You ever done this before?" Keyi tossed her buckles onto the table.

"Gotten undressed?"

She stopped to shoot an annoyed glance at Korra. " _No._ Worked on an ambulance crew. Or do they not have ambulances where you're from."

It wasn't a question.

"This is my first day," Korra retorted.

Keyi pulled her tag off and set it next to her buckles and gloves. "But have you ever done this _other_ stuff? Saved any lives? Worked with any medics?"

Korra opened her mouth to respond but was cut off by Keyi.

"Cause this shit ain't easy. You don't just ride around all day in a fancy ambulance shooting the breeze." She leaned forward. "This is the _real deal_ , and you've got to be _ready_."

"Oh, quit scaring her, Keyi. Korra seems like a good kid." Shizi walked to the table, tea cup in hand. "She'll do just fine."

Korra lowered her sight to her empty mug, discomfort filling her stomach.

"Come on, Korra," the other man waved her over. "Let's get you suited up. Then, we'll show you the ropes. Keyi, you're to stay with Lin and tell her about last night for her investigation."

She focused on her laces and called over her shoulder. "Will do."

Shizi set his now-barren cup on the table and made his way to the door. "Come, Korra. No wasting time."

She jumped up in a panic. "Right, right, I'm coming."

Keyi watched Korra and the two men leave before shaking her head. "She's not gonna make it," she whispered to herself when she heard Korra drop the buckles of her uniform in the other room.

(-)

Korra's head was a swirl. She had buckets of information thrown at her the past seven hours and her mind was too drained to even think about it right now, or think in general. She sat in the back of the ambulance and watched the darkened sky with weary eyes. The vehicle thrummed along a rather bumpy road as it made its rounds around the neighborhood. Korra rubbed her eyes. Her stomach growled, much too excited for the leftover food waiting for her in her fridge at home. They had picked up lunch but that was several hours ago, and her nerves were running much too rampant throughout most of the day to last on the small bowl of noodles she could afford. At any moment, she was expecting a call on the radio or two cars to just crash right in front of her ambulance.

Lucky for her, the day had been quiet.

The ambulance rounded a corner and continued moving forward. The pavement improved and Korra knew they were on the safer side of town near the nicer buildings and apartments. Here, the gang wars weren't as heavy, unlike in the poor neighborhood where she lived.

 _It should be smooth sailing from here._

She breathed in relief. There wasn't so much as a single siren throughout the last seven hours of her shift, minus the time they showed her how to work the siren system in case she ever had to drive.

Korra scoffed inside at this. Her? Drive? She didn't know the first thing about driving, well, _anything_. Satomobile, ambulance – they were all the same to her; giant monstrous metal things that she didn't even know how to turn on. She nodded and smiled in those times, preferring _not_ to spend a majority of her day showing her coworkers how inadequate she was.

The talks from Lin and Keyi were enough for that.

She ran her fingers through her hair and checked the clock. Ten minutes, ten minutes left and she will have survived her first shift. They were almost back at the station. She could _do_ this.

Then, it happened.

They made another turn and what they saw before them made Shizi slam on the brakes.

This grabbed Korra's attention. Her heart sped up. She lifted her eyes to the bright sight before her.

"Spirits," Hu – the paramedic in the passenger seat – unbuckled and opened the door to the ambulance to lean out the side. He squinted his eyes as he took in the sight.

Before he could come back into the vehicle, Shizi was flooring the gas.

They sped towards the building before Korra could even grasp what was happening. The sounds of Hu shouting into the radio were distant in her ears.

The ambulance came to a screeching halt. Within a second, both of her coworkers were already out of the vehicle and heading to the back doors to grab their masks.

"Come on, Korra!" Shizi bellowed.

Korra snapped out of her stupor and fumbled with her seatbelt. She couldn't stop her shaking hands.

This was it; this was the real deal.

She finally hit the release and pulled the restraint from around her torso. Her quaking fingers gripped the handle to the door. She closed her eyes and took a breath.

"I know why you're doing this."

She was back in that training hall. Katara was in front of her, but Korra refused to look into her eyes.

"It's because of your father, isn't it?"

Korra locked onto Katara. Tears streamed down her face.

Katara tightened her grip. "You know that wasn't your fault, right? You know that he's okay, that he healed from his injuries – most likely thanks to you."

Korra shook her head and sniffled. The sight of her father's blood on her hands filled her sight.

She looked away.

"Korra!"

She snapped out of her trance and opened her eyes to find Shizi pounding on her window.

"Are you coming or not? We need you!"

That's when she heard a piece of the building in front of them crumble into itself, bursting through the floors below it. The debris was lost to the engulfing flames.

Korra nodded and pushed the door open. Her feet hit the ground with a thud that radiated from her soles to her skull. She stared at the burning building with wide eyes that reflected the bright image.

Then, she moved.

Her legs pumped as she sprinted behind Shizi.

He held a mask out to her.

She grabbed it.

"Focus on the people leaving the building. They'll need medical attention," he called as he strapped his smoke-mask on. " _Don't_ go into the building until the fire department gets here. They're the ones trained for that."

Korra nodded and fit her mask onto her face. It was much too big for her, but it would have to do.

The trio rushed over to two people running out of the building, shielding their faces from the smoke.

Shizi and Hu hurried to the pair. They started inspecting immediately, checking eyes, breath, _everything_ as they escorted them from the haze.

Korra heard them ask if anyone else was inside, but the question faded out. She stopped following them out of the plume and stared at the flames for a split second.

Then, she moved.

She either didn't hear the calls of her coworkers or ignored them outright. Whichever it was, she couldn't decipher in her blurred state.

All she could do was keep moving.

Korra shielded her eyes and burst into the opening of the building. From the front desk, she could tell it was an apartment complex. She didn't know how it was possible for a place to be both dark and bright at the same damn time. She heard a crackle to her right and dove on instinct to her left.

A large chunk of floor from above crashed beside her.

Korra scrambled to her feet. Her heart raced. Sweat poured from her pores. She spun around and saw a woman rush towards her, a child in her arms.

"That way," Korra heard herself scream through her mask. Her arm pointed towards the exit as the other shielded the pair from any further damage.

The woman sped by her. She didn't say anything, but her eyes held gratitude mixed into their fear.

Korra simply nodded.

Then, she moved.

Korra ran by gut alone. She eyed each room as she sprinted through them; the floors, the walls, the furniture, the debris. She climbed a staircase to the second floor when the step she pushed off of crumbled.

The rest of the staircase followed.

She lunged for the landing. Her torso slammed into it. Her hands gripped the rather-hot metal banister on either side of her. She kicked, her legs looking for something – _anything_ – to give her leverage. Finding none, she grunted and pulled herself up to the landing with her arms alone. She crawled onto the platform and rolled onto her back. Korra watched the ceiling spin above her. The air was getting thin.

What was she doing here?

Another clump of ceiling dropped. She flipped out of the way and glanced beside the burning debris.

That's when she saw it; the reason why her gut brought her here in the first place.

Korra scrambled over to the body across the hall from her, moving on her hands and knees. The body was pinned under a chunk of wall. Korra squinted, struggling to see through the thick smoke. Her eyes picked up on something dark – black, a large mass of black hair –

Her memories of last night flashed before her.

Then, she moved.

Korra worked first on moving the debris off of the body. She struggled to pull the heavy wall off of the woman, grunting as she did so. Her heart was racing out of her chest. Her arms were sturdy but shaky. Her lungs burned for the oxygen that was being burned in the room. With a forceful scream, she removed the burning chunks of building.

The woman didn't move.

Korra dropped beside her and placed a finger on her neck.

 _No pulse._

She looked up at the crumbling walls around her.

 _I have to get her out of here._

Korra flipped the woman over slowly, trying her best to be gentle in case there was a spinal injury.

There was blood on the woman's face. Her blood got onto Korra's hands.

Her mind flashed back to her home, to her childhood, her father's blood on her skin once more, her arms just as shaky.

She closed her eyes. She tried to shake the image away.

She couldn't.

Fear filled her, pushing out the courage she had once felt.

A loud crack brought her back to reality.

Her lids flew open to the woman before her. Korra panicked. She didn't know what to do or what to think or how to act. She had to get out of there, had to leave, had to turn away and not turn back. She was sure she was going to die.

They _both_ were.

"No," Korra spoke beneath her mask.

 _I'm not running. Not again._

Korra slipped her hands under the woman's armpits and dragged her gently from the pile of debris. She searched for the source of the blood. There were no injuries to her head – no _bleeding_ ones, anyway – but there was a large gash in the woman's shoulder. It had stopped bleeding, but the red had gotten everywhere. Korra put her ear down to the woman's nose, trying to hear her breath. She put her finger to her nostrils to detect any sort of breath.

There was nothing.

 _Shit_.

She tried lifting her, but found she couldn't; she wasn't well trained in special carries, and her nerves were too wired to make another attempt successful. She knew at that moment that she would have to try and wake the woman up _now_ if she wanted to get them both out alive.

With that in mind, Korra wasted no time. She put one palm over the back of her other hand and placed them between the woman's breasts.

Then, she moved.

She pumped. Once. Twice. Three times. All the way up to thirty. She checked the woman's airway. All clear. She tilted the woman's head back. She lifted her chin. She tossed her mask aside. She took a deep breath. Locked their mouths. Held the woman's nose.

Exhale.

Korra disconnected.

Took a breath.

Locked.

Exhale.

Before she knew it, her hands were back in the same spot, pumping. She flew back to the mouth.

Breathe.

Lock.

Exhale.

Breathe.

Lock.

Exhale.

Pump.

After the third cycle, the woman moved. It was subtle, but it was there.

Korra almost cheered. She checked the woman's neck again.

There was a pulse.

She could see the rise and fall of the woman's breath.

Korra fumbled around for her mask. She shook any ash out and started placing it over the woman's mouth and nose.

This caused the woman to stir. Her eyes fluttered open and she took a breath, the air feeling cleaner as the mask was fixed onto her face. She squinted to the brightness of the flames around her and jumped to the sound of more debris crashing in the distance. There was an odd taste in her mouth, like that of another's.

"My name is Korra," she heard the woman holler as she tightened the mask onto her pale face. "I'm with the Republic City Response Department. I'm here to get you out of here. Can you feel your toes? Can you move or walk at all?"

All the woman could do was gaze at _this_ woman and shake her head. She was sweating and the room was spinning around her.

"Here, I'm going to help you to your feet."

She watched as this dark woman moved her. She could see the blood and the ash that covered them both. Before she knew it, she was on her feet.

Then, they moved.

She saw the scenery change as this woman searched for an exit. It was then that she realized the one behind them was destroyed. She gripped onto the woman that was half-carrying, half-guiding her as they made their way to another staircase. She could hear the crackling wood around her and the dark woman's panting. She also heard a loud "fuck" as they reached the only remaining staircase. Her eyes widened when she saw the whirling staircase covered with fallen debris from the floor above them.

She had no time to try and get the image before her to straighten.

They were on the move again, all lead by this paramedic that she had never met before.

Yet…

The woman looked familiar to her. She tried to steal a glance at her once more, but the images were too blurry.

At least, until they stopped.

Korra used her free arm to pull a window open. She glanced down.

"There she is!" Shizi called and pointed. A fire crew rushed towards the window with a safety net and set it up.

Korra tightened her grip on the woman and glanced into her frantic – yet dazed – eyes.

"Hey, stay with me."

Her free hand held the woman's cheek.

She looked deep into the ocean irises staring before her, feeling warm and calm from dark woman's touch. The images stopped spinning, just for a moment, and she took in the sweaty, ashy, lovely brown face of the paramedic before her. Her heart couldn't help but skip a beat.

That's when she remembered where she saw her before.

"We're going to have to jump if we're going to make it out of this building alive. There's a safety net below us. And I'll be here to help you, okay? Do you think you'll be able to do this?"

She stared into the woman's blue eyes a moment longer before nodding in determination.

Korra nodded back with a similar look. She adjusted her hold on the woman.

"Hold onto me as tight as you can," she instructed.

The woman obliged.

Korra made her way through the window with the woman wrapped around her torso. She glanced down at the safety net as the firefighter gave her the sign to go.

Her heart was in her ears. She gulped.

She could do this.

The woman stared down at the net with fear in her heart and cloudiness in her head. Everything was swirling again.

Then, they moved.

In a blink, they were falling, until everything turned black.

(-)

She awoke to a steady beep beside her and bright white lights. She flinched and shielded her eyes from the intensity of the beams overhead. After a few blinks, she adjusted. She took a breath. It was fresh and powerful. She glanced down and noticed the tube by her nose, feeding her fresh, oxygen-rich air. She felt another in her arm, the tube connected to a needle on one end and a bag on the other, providing her with the fluids she lacked. She groaned and felt a sting in her shoulder when she tried to move her torso.

"Hey, take it easy. You've been through a lot."

She jumped to the sound and searched the room. Her eyes fell on a dark woman to her right, who was seated beside her in a chair.

Her hair was mangled and her face was anything but clean, as were her clothes.

She squinted, trying to take the woman in once more. The images slowly started connecting with memories. She raised her brow.

"Korra?"

Korra nodded and smiled. "You remembered."

The woman gave a small smirk back. She spoke slowly, still waking up from her bout of unconsciousness. "Well, you _did_ save my life. I should at least remember your name."

Korra grinned once more and looked away. "I was just… doing my job, you know?" There was a faint blush on her cheeks and she hoped that she was too dirty for it to be seen.

She chuckled. "Either way, thank-you. You're very brave," she stared at the woman, the same smile on her face. She tried to move into a sitting position and grimaced from the pain.

"Oh, here, let me help you!" Korra scrambled – almost tripped – out of her seat. She cleared the gap between them in one stride. Her arms floated around the woman, suddenly unsure of what to do. "I – um, of course, if you want me to…" Korra averted her gaze.

The woman chuckled again. "It's okay. You can help."

Their eyes locked.

Korra sighed and smiled. "I'll be gentle."

"I appreciate it."

Korra's grin grew, even though it was just as soft. She slid one hand onto the woman's torso and adjusted the pillows with the other while she helped the woman upright. "Better," she asked as she fluffed the pillows against the woman's back.

"Much better." She smirked. "Thank-you."

Korra stepped away nervously. "You're, um, you're welcome." She spun around to the end table nearby and picked up a glass of water. "Here," she handed it to the woman, "I'm sure you're thirsty."

She nodded and accepted the drink with the same smile. She tilted it back and finished half of it before returning the cup to the waiting Korra. "Thank-you, again."

Korra bobbed her head and set the glass down. She turned back to the woman and froze, unsure of what to do once more. The woman's face was clean and well-lit and absolutely _beautiful_ , and Korra tried with all of her might not to stare.

She couldn't help it.

A blush hit her dirty cheeks and she looked away, somewhat babbling under her breath.

 _I really must be tired._

She stumbled into her chair and sat down. She leaned forward, elbows on her thighs, and stared at her hands. After gathering herself – but without looking at the woman – she asked, "how are you feeling?"

"Like I got stuck in a burning building and jumped out of a window to get out of it."

Korra chuckled.

"And what about you?" The woman adjusted her bedsheet and lowered it so that it was at her waist instead of her chest.

Korra glanced up from the sound of the movement – the paper gown was doing no justice in helping the woman's motions be silent – and looked away in embarrassment. "I'm fine. A bit exhausted, to be honest."

The woman raised a brow. "Why are you here then, Korra?"

Their eyes locked.

Korra blushed and stared at the floor again. "I – um, they wanted me to – I wanted to…" She took a breath and sighed. She met the green eyes staring at her. "The hospital was running low on staff and they needed someone to look after your vitals, so I volunteered." Her eyes dropped once more.

The woman crossed her arms. "There's more. I can tell."

Korra glanced at her. This was a battle she could not win – she could already see it. She exhaled. "You're right, there _is_ more. _I_ wanted to make sure you were okay, too. That's why I've been here the last three hours."

She loosened her arms and spoke softly. "Why?"

Korra's bottom lip pouted out. "I don't know, I just _did_. You – I don't know, you feel special," she peeked at the woman's eyes only to avert her own right after, "…or something. I don't know. But if I'm making you uncomfortable, I can go." Korra stood up from her chair.

The woman held her hand up. "No, it's okay. You can stay."

Korra raised a brow. "You sure?"

She nodded. "I'm sure."

Korra smiled and lowered herself back onto the chair. "Okay."

The woman grinned and played with a piece of her hair. "So, why do you think I'm special?"

Korra's blush returned. All she could muster was "I – um, I don't know?" while looking at the floor.

Her smirk widened. "Well, I can tell you why _I_ think _you're_ special."

This got Korra's attention. She glanced up at the woman until their eyes met. "Me?"

"Yes, _you_. Unless you see someone else sitting in here with us."

Korra looked around, just to be safe.

This earned a chuckle from the patient in the bed.

Korra smiled from the sound; she liked this woman's laughter.

"Well, the reason why _I_ think _you're_ special is because you've helped me twice now. Three times, actually."

She raised her brow in confusion. "Three?"

The woman nodded. "Once by saving me from that burning building. Once by watching over me to make sure I stayed alive after and taking care of me afterwards. And the night before this, when you slowed that robber down so that I could catch up to him."

"So it _was_ you," Korra exclaimed in excitement.

She bobbed her head with a sly smirk and crossed her arms over her chest. "You don't think I'd forget that, did you?"

Korra rubbed the back of her neck in embarrassment. "I honestly thought you didn't even notice me on the ground there."

The woman laughed. "I noticed you, and if I wasn't chasing that guy down, I would have stopped to help you up." She paused. It was _her_ turn to look away in embarrassment. "Sorry about that."

Korra chuckled. "It's alright. You had to get back what he stole, and from what I hear, you did a number on him."

Instead of boasting, the woman frowned. "I did, and he did a number on me."

Korra raised her brow. "What do you mean?"

She turned her head and held her elbows. "My building burning down… It wasn't an accident."

"You think he did that to you?"

Their eyes met, anger in the greens and disbelief in the blues.

"If it wasn't him, then it was someone that was with him."

"But I only saw one of them last night."

She sighed and averted her gaze. "That's not what I meant."

"What did you mean, then?"

Before the woman could answer, a loud gurgling interrupted them.

A deep blush covered Korra's cheeks. She was _sure_ the woman could see it this time. She put a hand over her stomach and gave her a sheepish smile.

The woman's expression was sympathetic. "When was the last time you ate anything?"

Korra rubbed the back of her neck. "I think like twelve hours ago or something."

"Korra," the woman playfully rebuked with a smile. Then her own stomach growled in hunger.

Their eyes locked.

Gentle laughter erupted from both of them.

"I guess we're both a bit famished," Korra started once the giggling was over.

The woman smirked at Korra. "How about you go grab us some food and _then_ we can keep talking?"

Korra's heart skipped a beat in her chest and her stomach turned and she felt flush and she didn't know why. All she could do was grin back, nod, and say "okay". She rose and closed her eyes while she stretched her arms above her head.

She couldn't help but notice Korra's untucked shirt rise a bit, revealing a rather-toned stomach. She felt heat rush to her cheeks and she looked away to hide the blush.

"Anything special you'd like," Korra asked once her wrists returned to her chest and her eyes were open.

The woman almost said "you" in her stupor, but she stopped herself.

 _I must be really tired._

"Just some noodles – noodles would be great."

Korra smiled. "No problem. Here," she grabbed the glass and handed it to the woman. "Drink some more. It'll help you feel better."

She nodded and took the glass. She started drinking and watched Korra cross the room. Her heart was racing and her stomach was flipping and she felt warm and had no clue as to why. She swallowed hard and lowered the cup from her lips. "Korra?"

Korra halted in the doorway. She spun around and faced the woman on the bed. "Yeah?"

She wanted to say "thank-you", but her lips had other plans. "In case you were wondering, my name is Asami."

 _Asami_ , her mind repeated in a flutter. The spinning inside of her stomach and the beating in her chest wouldn't cease.

Korra smiled and put a hand on the frame. "Asami is a very pretty name," she muttered until she realized what she said. After that, she fumbled with both her words and her steps. "I – um – noodles, I'll get the uh…" With that, she spun around and nearly sprinted from the entrance.

Asami watched with a grin on her face. She chuckled and shook her head, looking away in the process. She finished her water and glanced back at the doorway, unable to get the thoughts of this mysterious woman from her mind. Never had she seen someone so beautiful, strong, and brave in her life. She set the glass on the table. Her heart fluttered. She sighed in content and patiently waited for Korra to return, her heart pounding yet elated to spend more time with the gorgeous woman that saved her life.


End file.
